Method of truing rings



Dec. 15, 1931.

J. A. GANSTER METHOD OF TRUING RINGS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 22, 1928 IATTOR EY-Y.

15, 1931. GANSTER 1,836,112 I 7 METHOD OF TRUING RINGS Filed Aug. 22, 1928 3Sheets-Sheet 3 A 3* -zrw11 XM%INVENTOR ATTORNEYS,

Patented Dec. 15, 1931 JOSEPH A. GANSTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA METHOD OF TRUING RINGS Application filed Aufllt as, 1925. Serial No. 301,257.

This invention relates to the treatment of rings to true and give them a circular form, and involves the subjection of the ring to powerful pressure exerted radially thereof entirely around the same by suitable pressure devices which, in acting on the ring, will present a true circular contour or pressure surface and will give the ring a similar accurate and true circular form.

While applicable to the treatment of rings generally, which under their conditions of use require accuracy in their circular form or contour, the invention has particular reference to the treatment of the rings of antifriction bearings, which bearings comprise an inner ring provided with an external raceway surface, an outer surrounding ring provided with an internal raceway surface, and intermediate rolling elements, either balls or rollers, traveling on said surfaces; and the present invention consists of an improved method of treatment, to carry out the above mentioned objects.

In accordance with the invention, the ring machining operations, is supported on end in heated condition with its raceway surface exposed and free from contact with extra-- neous objects, and by suitable pressure members, presenting conjointly an accurate circular pressure surface and disposed either with in the ring or outside the same, according as to whether an inner ring or an outer ring is peing treated, the ring is subjected to powerthe ring and the machined raceway surface thereon will be given a corresponding true and accurate circular form, the exposed racethe action of a cooling medium, as a result of which, the said surface will be hardened uniformly and withoutthe formation of soft spots therein, and the ring will contract and will thereby conform to the final predetermined circular dimensions as determined by the circular contour of the pressure members. In the specification to follow, the said invention will be described in detail, and the with its raceway surface formed by theusual ul pressure exerted radially thereof, whereby way' surface being at or about the moment of the application of said pressure,.subjected to novel features thereof will be set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 isa vertical sectional elevation of my improved apparatus in the form designed for the treatment of the outer rings of anti-friction bearings;

Fig. 2. is a plan view of the same with the bearing ring omitted;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of certain parts of the apparatus, separated from each other;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the operating stem for the pressure members, separated from its associated parts;

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 1, showing the apparatus in a form adapted for acting on the inner rings of anti-friction bearings;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the same; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of certain parts of said apparatus, separated from each other.

Referring to the drawings.

In carryingthe improved method into effect, the bearing ring being previously heated, either the outer ring 1 of a bearing with its inner raceway surface 2 and its cylindrical external surface 3 as shown in Fig. 1, or the inner ring 4 of a bearing with its outer conical raceway surface 5 and its inner cylindri cal surface 6 as shown in Fig. 6, is supported on end in position to be acted on, with its raceway surface exposed and free of contact With extraneous objects. The heated ring is now subjected to powerful truing pressure exerted entirely around the ring and radially thereof, by means which will engage the side of said ring opposite its raceway, said means engaging the outer side of an outer bearin ring as shown in Fig. 1, or the inner side 0 an inner bearing ring as shown in Fig. 6. The

pressure applying means is formed where it engages the ring, to present an accurate and true circle, and it is operated with reference to a ring of a given diameter, to move radially to a predetermined point or extent in applying the truing pressure, the circular contour presented by thezpressure means at that point of its movement being the final plication of the pressure, but preferably simultaneously therewith, a cooling medium, for instance water, is applied to the exposed raceway surface of the ring, the effect of which will be to harden said surface uniformly and evenly throughout its extent, without leaving any soft spots therein, such as would result if the raceway surface were brought into contact with any extraneous objects, and the further effect of which "coolingmedium is to cause the ring to contract, the pressure means moving inwardly with the contracting ring in the case of an outer ring, and moving outwardly as the ring contracts toward it, in the case of an inner ring. The efiect of the contraction of the rings in both cases is that, when the ring has become cold and has fully contracted, it will, by reason of the cooperative action of the truing pressure, assume a final set of true and accurate circular form, in which the raceway surface will be of similar true and circular contour, and a hardened trued ring will be provided without the necese sity of resorting to the time consuming and expensive grinding operations which have heretofore been required in the production of bearing rings.

Two forms of apparatuses areshown for carrying the above described method of treatment into effect, one form, that shown in Figs. 1 to 5, for treating outer bearing. rings, and the other form, that illustrated in Figs. 6 to 8, for treating inner bearing rings.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 5, the operative parts of the apparatus are mounted in and sustained by a suitable frame comprising a bed plate 8 having fixed to its underside two parallel frame bars 9, only one of which is shown from one end of which, an arm 10 extends downwardly and'at its lower end is extended horizontally as at 11, so as to underlie the bars 9.

Seated on and fixed to the bed plate 8 is an annular member or block. 12 of the detailed form best shown in Fig. 4, and comprising a base portion 13 containing a circular opening 14 inalinement with a similara seat for the ring 1 to be treated, which ring i being seated on the upper ends ofthe'posts sides as at 20 to fit around and engage the outer cylindrical surface of the ring, and have their outer sides sloping axially as at 21 to fit within and cooperate with the sloping surface 17 of the annular member 12.

These pressure members when assembled between the posts and around the bearing ring asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, will present on their inner sides a true circular contour, and by moving said members as a unit axially within the annular member, the said sloping surfaces cooperating with each other will cause the segmental members to be moved vradially, the downward movement of the members causing them to move radiallyinwardly and apply pressure to the ring, and the upward movement of'the members per- 'mitting themto be movedoutwardly from each other to release the ring. This outward movement of the segmental members is effected in the present case by means of a torsion spring 22 which is anchored at one end, as at 23, in a. groove in the upper side of one of the segmental members and engages in grooves 24 in the other members, and thus tends to spread the members apart as they aremoved upwardly axially.

The segmental members may be moved axially by any suitable form of operating means to effect their radial movement, so as to applypowerful pressure to the bearing ring, and in the drawings I have illustrated one form of such operating mechanism, although it is obvious that other forms may be employed without departing from the limits of the invention, On reference to Fig. 1, it will be seen that an operating stem 25 extends upwardly loosely through the alined openings 14 and 15, and has its upper end interlocked with the segmental pressure members in such manner that the axial move- I members will-be permitted to move radially i relatively to the stem. This interlocking of the ste m with'the segmental members is effected in the present instance] by forming in the upper end of-the stem an annu ar ope n groove 26,.in which are loosely engaged fingers 27 extending inwardly from the lower ends of the segmental members, the depth of the groove being such asto permit sufl1- cient movement of the fingers in the groove radially, to enable the pressure members to function as above describedin applying radial pressure to the ring when said members are moved axially. j The stem is moved downwardly to operate the pressure members to apply the truing pressure, in the present instance y means of a foot pad 28 on the lower end of a rod 29, Whose ufppler end is pivoted as at 30 to two pairs orizontal toggle links 31 at the -point of pivotal connect1o'n of said links with each other, which pairs of toggle links are pivoted at one end, as at 32, to the frame arm 10, and are pivoted at their opposite end, as at m 32, to two pairs of vertical toggle links 33 at the point of the pivotal connection of said vertical toggle links with each other. The lower ends of the pairs of vertical toggle links are pivoted to the stem 25 as at 35, and their upper ends are pivoted to the sides of the horizontal frame bars 9, as at 36. Near its lowerend, the stem is formed with a shoulder 37, and beyond the shoulder with a reduced threaded terminal portion 38 on which are screwed nuts'39 in position to engage the terminal ortions 11 of the arm in the downward movement of the stem and thus limit such movement; and a spiral spring 40 surrounds the stem between the shoulder 37 and the terminal portions 11 of the arm 10, to move the stem upwardly after being depressed by the foot pad.

In the operation of the mechanism,-with the segmental pressure members in their up- 1 I per position as shown by dotted lines in Fig.

1, and held up by the spring 40, and spread apart by the torsion spring 22, in which position of the parts the two paii's of angularly.

related toggle links are broken, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the bearing ring 1, after being first heated, is seated on the sup.- porting posts 18, and the foot pad 28 is depressed. This movement of the foot pad will straighten out the toggle links as shown by the fulllines in Fig. 1, with the result that the stem 25 will be moveddownwardly under powerful force, and the pressure members will be correspondinglymoved downwardly in an axial direction. pressure @members, will, due to the cooperation of the sloping surfaces 20 thereon with the sloping surface 21 of the annular surrounding member 12, move the pressure'members inwardly radially, and they will engage and act with powerful truing pressure on the ring. Such movement of the parts, and the pressure on the ring, will continue until the stop nut 39 brings up against the terminal portion 11 of the arm 10, which will deter- .mine the final set ofthe ring in effecting the truing operation; and at or about the time of the application of the pressure on the ring,

a coolingmedium, such as'water, is applied to the exposed raceway surface of the ring to harden the same and cause the rin to contract or set, thefiange 16 of the annu 'ar member 12 being provided with a number of holes 17 for the escape of the cooling water.

In the truin of an inner bearing ring, the

55 general metho of treatment is the same as Such movement of, thesure members in their raised that just described, except that the segmental pressure members are arranged to act on the interior of the ring insteadof on itsexterior. The form and construction of the parts to effect this action are shown in Figs. 6 to 8, where it will be seen that the inner bearing ring 4 is supported on end on a circular supporting plate 12, which in turn is supported on a frame plate 8. A conical head 16 provided with outwardly and downwardly sloped sides, extends upwardly from the plate 12 and centrally within the bearing ring, and is formed with a central opening 14, which alines with an enlarged opening 15 in the plate 8. A series of (three in the present instance) segmental pressure members 19 is disposed around the conical head within the ring 4, the outer sides of which members are curved as at 21 to conjointly present a circular pressure surface to en age the inner cylindrical surface of the bearing ring, and the inner sides of which are sloped as at to engage and cooperate with the sloping surface of the conical head. The form and arrangement of these parts are such that, when the pressure members are moved axially down wardly as a unit on the conical head, the said sloping surfaces cooperating with each other will move said members radially outwardly and will thereby apply truing pressure to the interior of the ring, and when moved upwardly, the pressure members will be per mitted to move inwardly radially towards each other to release the ring. 3

Movement of the pressure members axially is effected by means of an operating stem 25" guided to move verticall in the supportin frame and formed on 1ts upper end witli a reduced portion 25 extending loosely through the said openings 14 and 15, a head 41 being fixed to the upper end of said reduced portion, and adapted in the downward movement of the stem to engage the upper ends of the segmental members and move the same downward axially, whereby said members will be caused'to move outwardly radially and will apply truing pressure to the bearmg ring. Such downward movement of the operating stem is efl'ected by means of a toggle-link system as shown, similar to that previously described, and operated by a similar foot pad 28. On the upward movement of the operating stem by the spring 40, the head 41 will be disengaged from the upper ends of the pressure members as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6, whereupon the latter will be drawn, inwardly towards each other, by means of a compression spring 22 surrounding the pressure members'as shown, and at the same time will ride up on the conical head.

It will be understood that in the o eration of this form of the ap aratus, with t e operating stem in its raise position and the presosition and contracted by the spring 22, the aring ring 4: in heated condition is seated around the contracted pressure members and upon the supporting surface of the circular plate 12. The foot pad 28 is now depressed, which action will straighten out the toggle links and move the stem downwardly and thereby move the pressure members downwardly axially and expand them forcibly within and in engagement with the interior of the ring, so as to apply a truing pressure thereto. The downward movement of the stem is limited, as in the first instance described, to give the final true circular set to the bearing ring, b

means of the nut 39 in its engagement wit the terminal portion 11 of the frame arm 10". In the operation of the apparatus just described, it will be understood that, as in the first instance described, a cooling medium is applied to the bearing ring as the same is subjected to the truin pressure, the raceway surface 5 of the ring be ng exposed and free from contact with any extraneous objects, so

that there will be no soft spots left in the hardened surface.

While in the foregoingdescription and'accompanying drawings the invention has been described as applied specifically to the treatment of the rings of anti-friction bearings to true the same, it will be manifest that the method of procedure and apparatus ma p employed to-true other forms of rings w ere accuracy in their circular contour is demanded; and it will be understood further that the detailed form of the apparatus shown may be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the invention; and further, that the invention is not limited to any particular form or construction of the parts, except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is i 1. The method of treating bearin rings having raceways, to true and bar en the same, which consists inheating the ring, supsignature hereto.

A JOS. A. GANSTER.

porting the same in a fixed predetermined 3 position to be acted on, with its raceway free of contact WltlLGXtIaIIGOUS objects subjecting the surface of the rihg opposite its raceway to pressure exerted radiall therearound to a predetermined extent to glve the rin a true circular form, and at the moment 0 application of the pressure, applyin a cooling me dium to the raceway to bar en the same,

whereby said raceway will be given a true circular form and size and the hardened surface thereof will be free from soft spots.

2. The method of treating bearing rings having internal raceways, to true and harden the same, which consists in heating the ring.

supporting the same with its raceway surface free of contact with extraneous objects subextent-to give the same a true circular form, 

